Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki appears to be recovering from a year made controversial by its landmark contemporary Māori art exhibition and the sudden resignation of its curator.
The gallery has now appointed Te Arepa Morehu (Ngāti Whātua, Ngāpuhi) as its inaugural head of kaupapa Māori.
In June the gallery also appointed Thomas Irvine of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei as deputy director.
That appointment came just months after the gallery’s curator Māori, Nigel Borell (Pirirākau, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Te Whakatōhea) resigned soon after the opening of a landmark survey of contemporary Māori art, Toi Tū Toi Ora. Borell cited irreconcilable differences with the gallery’s director, Kirsten Lacy, with whom he had worked closely on Toi Tū Toi Ora.
Other resignations followed and half the gallery’s Māori advisory board stood down.
Borrell award
Ironically, later this year Borrell was recognised by the Arts Foundation's new $25,000 He Momo, Moment in Time Award, which recognises change-makers who have had a significant impact on NZ's arts and cultural landscape during the past year.
The foundation says the award recognises an individual or collective who has "moved the needle on New Zealand’s arts landscape - be it fuelling our identity, wellbeing or culture, here or further afield."
The Toi Tū Toi Ora exhibition was the largest in the gallery's 130-year history and featured over 300 pieces of art by more than 100 Māori artists.
Meanwhile, as the inaugural Head of Kaupapa Māori, Te Arepa will progress the gallery’s commitment to support and promote Toi Māori.
An active leader in the community, and having led Te Ao Māori initiatives at senior leadership level for organisations including Westpac, MinterEllisonRuddWatts and Spark, Te Arepa is a passionate advocate in the areas of Te Ao Māori, tikanga Māori and te reo Māori.
Opportunity to imbue Te Ao Māori
‘Throughout my career I have been involved in organisational change and spent many years building bridges between corporate life and Te Ao Māori. Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki provides another opportunity to imbue Te Ao Māori in the thinking and operations of the gallery.
"I accepted this leadership role because I believe kaupapa Māori can support and provide rich experiences for all hapori (communities) of Tāmaki,’ Morehu says.
He joins the gallery from Westpac where he was a service design chapter lead. Among his first priorities at the gallery will be the recruitment of a new curator, Māori art.
‘I’m looking forward to joining Toi o Tāmaki and creating opportunities to celebrate and support the indigenous art sector. As a proud descendant of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei I continually strive to uphold and whakamana our cultural responsibility to tiaki i ngā tāngata e noho nei i te whatutoto o Te KawauKawau, to care for people that reside in the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei heartlands.’ Morehu says.